‘I told him he’s got it all wrong,’ I say gently.
‘And?’ Cordelia replies.
Andy takes a step toward her.
‘And I wondered… will you marry me?’ he asks quietly.
Cordelia lets out a broken laugh.
‘Are you sure?’ she asks.
‘I’m certain,’ he replies.
‘Do you want me to explain?’ she checks.
‘No, I don’t think so,’ he says with a smile. ‘You can tell me what you want, when you want.’
‘I’m going to leave you guys to get ready. There’s something I need to do,’ I tell them. ‘But I’ll see you at the wedding?’
‘See you there,’ Andy says. ‘And thanks.’
‘You’d do the same for me,’ I reply.
I leave the lodge with purpose, cutting across the gardens towards the main house. Staff buzz around me, chairs being straightened, flowers adjusted – everything is almost ready for the wedding. It seems like Andy and Cordelia have figured things out in the nick of time.
There’s something I need to sort though, something that can’t wait.
I head straight for Arty Morgan’s office. Luckily the door is open. Arty is in there, standing by the window, looking out over the grounds.
He turns when he hears me.
‘Whitney,’ he says. ‘Don’t you have a wedding to attend?’
‘My next stop,’ I say with a smile. ‘Have you seen Jake today?’
‘I haven’t,’ he replies. ‘Trouble in paradise?’
I chew my lip.
‘I thought you two were the real deal,’ he says quietly. ‘I thought you were in love.’
‘We are,’ I say immediately.
‘I overheard what you said earlier,’ he points out.
‘I was just being dramatic,’ I tell him. ‘But we’re all good. It was wedding drama, but we’re sorted, I promise.’
He raises an eyebrow.
‘Is that so?’ he replies.
‘It is,’ I insist.
Arty nods thoughtfully.
‘His late mother’s ring,’ Arty says, nodding towards the ring on my finger. ‘I think it means a lot, when a person hands over a piece of their family history.’
This was his mum’s ring? I had no idea. I know, he didn’t give it to me seriously, but he’s trusted me with it all this time. That means a lot.
